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Knights Finish Fifth at MIAC Championships

February 18, 2012 at 11:15 pm

Mamoru Kanazawa

Photo: Marilyn Indahl

MINNEAPOLIS – The Carleton College men’s swimming and diving team wrapped up the three days of competition at the MIAC Championships with a fifth-place showing in the team competition. The final day included all-conference individual performances by Erik Klontz (Jr./Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) and Benito Ramirez (So./Saint Louis Park, Minn./Minneapolis South) as well as an All-MIAC performance in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Klontz was second in the 100-yard freestyle, earning All-MIAC honors for the second time this year. He touched the wall at 45.18, a NCAA ‘B’ cut time but 0.03 seconds behind winner Michael Gratz of St. Olaf. Ramirez placed third in the 200-yard butterfly as his time of 1:55.33 ranked third overall.

Carleton closed the meet with all-conference honors in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Mamoru Kanazawa (Jr./Tokyo, Japan/St. Mary's International School), Ramirez, Ross Brown (So./Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls), and Klontz placed third overall with a time of 3:07.23.

By winning the final relay, the University of St. Thomas accumulated enough points to surpass St. Olaf College for the team total 765-762. Gustavus Adolphus College was third with 570 points, followed by Saint John’s University (456) and Carleton (426).

The Knights’ other point scorers on day three include Jaymes Awbrey (Jr./Farmington, Minn./Farmington Senior), who finished 14th in the 1,650-yard freestyle, with a time of 17:34.51.

Tom Holmes (Jr./Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington) was eighth in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.90. Christian Edwards (So./Atlanta, Ga./The Lovett School) and Michael Goodgame (Fy./Westport, Conn./Staples) were 11th and 15th overall in the same event.

In addition to Klontz’s performance in the 100 freestyle, Kanazawa was 10th at 47.06.

Leo Hummel (Sr./Seattle, Wash./Garfield) and Chris Frills (Jr./Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale College Prep) both advanced to the finals of the 3-meter diving competition. They placed seventh and eighth, respectively.

Andy Clark has been the head men's and women's swimming and diving coach at Carleton since 1994, and has led the Knights to consistent top-four finishes at the MIAC Championships. His athletes at Carleton have earned All-American honors 15 times and each of his squads have been awarded academic team honors by the College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) on both the men's and women's side.